Amoroma Ristorante Italiano: My Favorite Italian Place

While everyone rushed to get out of Manila last long weekend, I spent the 4-day break glued to my bed nursing a cold. It was too long a time to bond with my bed so I snuck a trip to Tagaytay with Person A to get his post-turnaround massage at T-House and try the Italian fare at Amoroma.

This is us before getting a massage.

That week, I suspended my sometimes-no-red-meat diet to aid my immune system and embarked on an Italian food binge which I find it appropriate to end with a meal at Amoroma. Why? Because the foodie community has been raving about this place for its authentic dishes served like no other.

Amoroma didn’t disappoint.

The Place

I don’t consider it a fine dining place. In fact, it’s your regular by-the-roadside-restaurant strategically located a few meters to the right of the Silang-Tagaytay junction.  

The place opens 11 AM to 2PM for lunch and 6PM to 10PM for dinner. So if you’re early, you can opt to sink in the cold Tagaytay air and pacify some angry birds. He's addicted to that game.

And take cheesy shots without knowing your companion is making a funny face. 

You are aptly warned that furry friends are not allowed inside, hence they can stay on the terrace enjoying the cold air some more. 

They have more warmth protection than us, so no worries there.

Inside, checkered tables can seat to about 80 guests and there’s a huge oven where you can view how pizzas are made.

Meal starts with dinner rolls.

Fresh from the oven and served a bit burnt. These taste good and have a nice texture.

Ravioli “Amoroma al Cartoccio” (PhP 340)

Spinach ravioli in cream, gorgonzola, vegetable and brandy sauce

This spinach-filled pasta is extremely good. The pasta is al dente but what sets it apart is the sauce. It’s thick and the saltiness of the aged-cheese with the tang of brandy made it a hit with Person A. I am not big on the dish but I have to agree that this is good. If you like spinach and cheese-salted sauce, then you have to order this.

Risotto Tartufo (PhP 445)

Black truffle mushroom and parmesan

Yes, that’s a slice of black truffle on top of my risotto. The distinct aroma and taste that the truffle renders on the rice dish is awesome. This dish is a winner! Another must try!

Petti di Pollo “Amoroma” (PhP 350)

Chicken breast stuffed with spinach, gorgonzola with gorgonzola sauce.

Noticed something? We were on a spinach and gorgonzola feast! The chicken is nicely done while the cream sauce takes the savory to a different level. It’s so good. What makes it additionally interesting is the aged-cheese after taste from the gorgonzola bits. And the potatoes have that grilled herb taste. No dish failed in our taste meter.

Tiramisu (PhP 155)

We ended our meal with tiramisu and coffee: cappuccino for the lady and latte for the gentleman. We order that all the time. We’re boring.

Another good tiramisu of the classic kind. It is made of espresso-soaked sponge cake with a generous layer of mascarpone.

In Summary

1. Amoroma is one of the best Italian restaurants I’ve tried. The dishes we tried are extremely good, in an authentic kind of way. This will be one of my default Italian restaurant to have a meal or to recommend to friends. Reason enough to drive to Tagaytay.

2. Price is reasonable. It is not as pricey as a fine dining restaurant and the serving size is more than enough for one person.

3. The place is practically for everything: dinner date, friends and family dinner and I fancy throwing a party in this restaurant. It doesn’t have the best interiors but the food will make up for everything. It is closely located to the Tagaytay junction making it very accessible even with heavy Tagaytay traffic.

Amoroma Ristorante Italiano

3575 Calamba Road

Tolentino, East Tagaytay

63.46.6963582

Siraan na ng Buhay: Kitchen's Best Purple Yam Cake

I once shared how Kitchen's Best Home Pattisserie whip up some of the best desserts in Manila. That's on top of having a quaint little place for hanging out and having a good selection of savories. To say that I love the place is an understatement. 

It's not surprising that #3 of Inquirer's 20 Best Desserts for 2011 is Kitchen's Best Purple Yam Cake. 

Yummy?

According to Inquirer "This irresistible purple yam cake is layered with creamy purple yam mousseline that highlights the crunchy and chewy nutty sheets of meringue. It is a uniquely rich Filipino treat decked with soft and velvety halaya for that real melt-in-the-mouth goodness."

This cake is heavenly: its several layers of meringue, nuts and ice cream-based frosting give an interesting dimension and texture as each bite melts in your mouth. It slides to the sweet side thus pairs well with tea or unsweetened brewed coffee. Btw, this is not on display (because the cake display is not cool enough to maintain the frosting?) so ask the waiter for this dessert. 

At last count, Kitchen's Best has at least 4 desserts which have won an award since 2001. I took home a slice of Chocolate Obsession, which I plan to have a bite in a few. Never mind the calories I have accumulated the past 2 weeks.

Siraan lang ng buhay. 

Kitchen's Best Patisserie

G/F Karrivin Plaza

2316 Pasong Tamo Ext.

Makati

63.2.8433847

Inspiring

I came across this while channel surfing (long weekend and mandatory bed rest do wonders... I have gazillion minutes to waste!)

The tune is catchy and when I looked at the video, it is the Philippines.

"We Can Be Anything" by Apl.de.Ap.

May this be a good example for the influential personalities. Please use your influence to bring good to our nation.

I am now preaching.

" WeCanBeAnything is an education advocacy campaign, born of a partnership between the Apl.de.Ap Foundation (AdAF) and the Ninoy and Cory Aquino Foundation (NCAF).

The campaign was conceived after apl.de.ap (a.k.a. Allan Pineda), the Filipino-American member of the world-famous Black Eyed Peas, expressed his desire to help improve the education situation in the Philippines.

From his own experience, he knew that, for many Filipinos mired in poverty or other difficult circumstances, education is the only long-term ticket to a better life. Unfortunately, millions among the youth are deprived of this ticket to opportunity or drop out of school for a variety of reasons. One basic obstacle is the severe shortage of public school classrooms; the Department of Education (DepEd) estimates the backlog at 66,800 classrooms as of schoolyear 2010-2011, Another factor is the barren environment for learning in many parts of the country due to scarce resources with which to set up libraries and similar facilities.

Several organizations have launched programs to address these and many other problems besetting the Philippine educational system. Through his foundation, apl.de.ap wants to be able to help some of these programs.

On a personal level, he simply wants to tell young Filipinos that he was able to go so far in life because he got an education. To deliver this message, he has composed the song, "We Can Be Anything", around which a campaign could be built.

To give apl.de.ap a platform for his advocacy, NCAF appointed him the special ambassador for education of the iamninoy-iamcory Movement in February 2011.

Through the WeCanBeAnything campaign, apl.de.ap lends his celebrity, music and personal network to rally massive support for key education initiatives, while reinforcing the broader message on the importance of education.

Proceeds from the campaign will benefit the Bayanihang Pampaaralan initiative of 57-75 movement for educational reform and the MyLibrary program of Ayala Foundation/ Philippine Development Foundation."